“Kroger CEO to retire at start of 2014, COO to replace him” at Reuters.  “Kroger said on Friday that David Dillon, the grocery store’s chief executive officer for a decade, plans to step down from that job in January and that President and Chief Operating Officer Rodney McMullen will replace him as CEO.”  Read more

 

“Q&A: W. Rodney McMullen, next Kroger CEO” by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer.  “On Kroger’s strategy: McMullen said he’s not planning any major changes in strategy. He noted the company has prospered in the past decade with its Customer 1st strategy that emphasizes competitive pricing, a broad variety of products, customer service and improving the shopping experience.”  Read more

 

“Does Dollar General have Family Dollar takeover in mind?” by G. Chambers Williams III at The Tennessean.  “On Oct. 5, Dollar General Corp. will celebrate the opening of its 11,000th store, in Murfreesboro, as the small-box retailer continues to deliver on a promise to add 650 new stores this year.  But analysts are buzzing over the possibility that Goodlettsville-based Dollar General, founded in Scottsville, Ky., in 1939, could instantly bring an additional 7,600 stores into its fold by acquiring its biggest direct competitor, Family Dollar Stores Inc.”  Read more

 

“The First Day of Home Depot’s Conquest of the Stock Market”  by Alex Planes at Motley Fool.  “Home Depot went public on Sept. 22, 1981, two years after its first stores opened in Atlanta. The home-improvement retailer listed 600,000 shares at $12 per share to raise $7.2 million — enough to build a handful of megastores in 1981.  In its first year of trading, this tiny over-the-counter stock soared more than 300% in value, but it remained off Wall Street’s radar despite recording a 220% year-over-year increase in revenue.”  Read more

 

“America’s fastest-growing retailers” at MarketWatch.  “From 24/7 Wall St., these are America’s fastest-growing retailers…”  Read more

 

“Costco grand opening: 200 jobs and ‘a huge win’ for New Orleans” by Robert Morris at Up Town Messenger.  “For their 650 other stores around the country, they mostly just opened the doors and people started shopping, the executives said.  “We’ve never been treated like this before,” Costco cofounder Jeff Brotman said. “You guys know how to throw a party.”  Read more

 

“Home Depot Can’t Escape Rivals’ Power Tool Antitrust Suit” by Jonathan Randles at Law 360 (Free Subscription Required).  “A California federal judge on Thursday refused to excuse Home Depot USA Inc. from a rival retailer’s antitrust suit alleging the world’s largest home improvement store conspired to prevent its competitors from stocking popular power tool brands.  U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar mostly denied Home Depot’s bid to dismiss competitor Orchard Supply Hardware LLC’s complaint. Orchard Supply claims Home Depot pressured power tool makers Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. and Makita USA Inc. to boycott rival retail chains, including Amazon.com Inc.”  Read more

 

“US holiday sales may rise 4.5%, Deloitte says” by Katie Little at CNBC.  “As the economy continues to improve at a steady gradual pace, one research firm expects sales during the crucial holiday season to improve moderately.  Sales are expected to rise between 4 percent and 4.5 percent in the November to January period to a range of $963 billion to $967 billion, according to a forecast from Deloitte released on Monday.”  Read more

 

“Costco Loses $9.9 Million in Runaway Cart Verdict” by Selim Algar at NY Post.  “A pain-wracked mom scored a stunning $9.9 million verdict last week after she was smacked with an out-of-control shopping cart at a Costco outlet in Brooklyn that left her forced to hobble on a cane, The Post has learned.”  Read more

 

“Real men don’t shop? Think again: Retail’s new frontier” by Katie Little at CNBC.  “”I think we’ve reached a point in society where millennial and Gen X men grew up a little differently,” said Candace Corlett, WSL’s president. “They grew up hanging out in a mall in a world where there were so many stores. They didn’t marry as young, and now they’re married to working women. Now all of these forces are coming together to create a new world of male shoppers.”  Read more

 

“For Migrants, New Land of Opportunity Is Mexico” by Damien Cave at NY Times.  “While Mexico’s economy is far from trouble free, its growth easily outpaced the giants of the hemisphere — the United States, Canada and Brazil — in 2011 and 2012, according to International Monetary Fund data, making the country more attractive to fortune seekers worldwide.”  Read more

 

“Macy’s blurs lines between stores, online” by Alexander Coolidge at Cincy Enquirer.  “The nation’s second-largest department store has expanded its network of fulfillment departments to 500 stores – including all six in Greater Cincinnati. The backroom operations add shipping capabilities at two-thirds of Macy’s stores, allowing them to fill both online orders and from locations where an item is out of stock.” Read more

 

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